1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to writing implements, in particular felt and fiber tip marker pens and liners, with three or more non-coaxial optionally usable writing tips.
2. Prior Art
There are known many methods of drawing lines of different widths with a single writing implement. There has been proposed a pen with a body to which may be attached any one of a series of writing heads fitted with tips of different sizes (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,787). However, the need to replace the writing head each time the line width is to be changed is very inconvenient.
It is also known to provide a pen with a broad tip so that lines of variable width can be produced by moving the pen across the paper with the nib at different angles to the direction of movement. In this case considerable skill and dexterity are required to produce lines of uniform width.
A writing implement is also known in which one writing tip is located in each of the two opposite ends of the body of the implement, both writing tips being of different thicknesses. Here, too, the handling is tedious, since in the case of changing line thickness the writing implement must be turned around. This method also provides for only two discrete line thicknesses.
There are also a number of writing implements which employ coaxial writing tips (sec U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,580,918 and 5,026,189) and means for advancing and retracting the tips relative to one another to adjust a selected tip into an operative writing position, whereby the implement is adjustable to produce lines of different predetermined widths.
However, none of the above methods provides a means to "outline" printed information in a variety of patterns, specifically when using the transparent ink which is commonly found in "highlighters." This would be especially advantageous when the media on the printed sheet which is desired to be highlighted is easily smeared or smudged, such as the case with pencil, felt tip marker, or wet ink, the latter commonly occurring with fresh printouts from "ink jet" type printers. An additional benefit of hating 3 or more optional writing tips is providing a greater range of possible line widths than is provided with the coaxial arrangement.